[Interview] Mara Brock Akil Talks Season 2 of ‘Being Mary Jane’ + The Secret To Working With Her Husband

Mara Brock Akil: Keeping the quality. Keeping it high and keeping it exciting. I don’t know if  its much challenging as its been fun. Production in general, getting your story told and getting it executed and out to the audience is challenging all the time, for everybody all the time. But for me it was always being better than I was last time.

How do you deal with the pressure of the fans who are always expecting?

Its my own bar. Honestly of course I want that audience to love it but I have to love it first. I have to know its good. My second pair of eyes is Salim, so once he says its good, I’m pretty sure we’re going to be alright. It’s my job as the creator and story teller to tell the story. I do hear the audience but you can’t let the tail wag the dog on that one. I’m excited I have a partnership with the audience, that they have that expectation of me. I like it, I like the ball and I’m hoping I’m making a lot of three pointers.

Is there another story you haven’t told like a biopic that you haven’t gotten around with yet?

I’ve always been a very authentic real life story teller but they [my boys] got me interested in Star Wars and Clone Wars, and super heroes, things of that nature in a way. I’m really interested in trying to tackle the story telling in an epic way and fantasy, and extra terrestrial. He wants me to write a movie called Super dog, he thinks it’ll be a blockbuster.

Is it challenging working with your spouse?

Theres always those moments, we’re artist but we’ve found a really wonderful formula. It’s based in respect. I really respect him as a director and visionary and he respects my vision of creation. We’re a great peanut butter cup—the chocolate and peanut butter goes really well together. Out of respect for what the other does, we’re champions for each other. Like when he was directing Sparkle, I made it clear it was his vision I was serving. When it comes to BMJ, he’s very clear that its my vision that he’s serving. We are very clear at the onset of every production who gets the last word and that’s based upon who’s vision that it is. Once you decide that any debatable problems go away. I really believe in him as an artist, he’s my best friend, my fellow artist, he’s my husband; sometimes working together is the only time I get to see him. Except now, he’s away a lot but the unit is figuring that out.

—RealWizSharifa